Known & Loved

In today’s episode,  I am sharing an excerpt from a sermon I gave on Easter a few years ago to remind us all that every person is known, chosen, and loved by God.  

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Transcript

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Hey friends, for the next few days, I'm gonna be sharing some of the messages I once preached as a pastor and some thoughts I've had with my friend Whitney Vance, about the power of power thoughts, whether they come from scripture or from thought leaders like Gabby Bernstein. I hope you like this week of new content. Welcome to the Live A Vibrant Life podcast. I'm life coach Kelly Tibbitts, and each week I'll be here to encourage and equip you with the tools you need to grow in self-awareness and invest your best energy in your dreams and your purpose. I believe self-awareness changes everything. Let's get started. Mary, it was when he said her name that she knew. No one else said her name like that. He spoke to her with love and patience. With kindness and gentleness. No one else said her name like that, but how could it be? Three days before she had stood at the foot of the cross with his mother and she watched them crucify him. She watched him breathe in pain and say, father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing. She watched with his mother as he breathed his last breath and said, it is finished. She was there as they took his body off the cross and she watched Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea walk boldly with 75 pounds of spices to this tomb in the garden at the foot of the cross. They wrapped him with linen cloth, so early in the morning, on the third day. She and the others came to the tomb, but it was empty. Where was he? Mary was filled with grief. The stone had been rolled away, but the tomb was empty. Jesus was not there. All that was left was the linen that they had wrapped him in. And now Mary Magdalene stood alone in the garden. She was so lost. Full of grief, crying. And that is why when he spoke, she thought it was the gardener. He said to her Woman, why are you crying? Who is it that you are looking for? Mary said to him, sir, if you have taken him away, tell me. Just tell me where you put him and I will go and get him. And Jesus said, Mary. What did that moment feel like? Did all of time stand still? Scripture said she turned and went to him. She wanted to stay right there in the garden forever because he is peace, but that's not what he asked. Instead, Jesus said to Mary, do not hold onto me. Can you imagine? He said to her, do not hold onto me. She had seen him die a brutal death, and now he was alive and she wanted to stay here, but he said, do not hold onto me. He told her to go, go and tell the good news. That's what she did. That's what we get to do. We are his hands and his feet going out and proclaiming the good news that the lost are found and the blind can see. We get to shout the gospel. Sin and death stay dead in the tomb, Jesus is alive. We're not who others say we are. When God looks at us, he says, you are chosen. You are free. You are wanted. You are His forever. You are his treasure. I am loved and so are you. When Jesus says our name, he says it with more love than you could ever imagine. He knows your name. And he has a plan for you, a plan that was created in advance for you. You were created on purpose for a purpose. In Luke 24, we see what happened next. There were two people walking on the road to Emmaus when Jesus appeared to them. They didn't recognize him either. They thought of him as a stranger walking on the road who somehow did not know what had happened. They told him about the women who had gone to the tomb, how the tomb was empty, and how Mary had said Jesus is alive. As they walked and talked, Jesus began to explain to them truth that they had never understood before that day. Scripture says they continued on and had a meal together, and in Luke chapter 24, Jesus sat at the table with his friends. He took the bread, he gave thanks, and he broke it. When he broke the bread, their eyes were opened and they recognized him. They got up at once and they returned to Jerusalem and told those who were with them- it is true. Jesus Christ has risen! In the garden, Jesus said her name. He said, let go and tell the good news. And Mary did. Go and tell the good news. God loves you. I Thank you for joining the Live A Vibrant Life podcast. I hope our time together encourage you. If you'd like to learn more. You can follow me on Instagram or Facebook, Kelly Tibbitts life coach, or visit my website kelly tibbits.com and look forward to connecting again soon.